Baptism by Fire
by Dixie Dewdrop
Summary: Tony's life takes an unexpected turn when he decides to run an errand. This is part of my Here and Now series.
1. Underwater

Underwater

The line of customers at the bank reflected the fact that not only was it the first day of the new month, but Friday afternoon and the beginning of what promised to be a glorious weekend in the Nation's Capital.

NCIS Special Agent Tony Dinozzo jogged from his car to the bank's entrance, softly humming as he congratulated himself for reaching the glass doors before the establishment closed.

Once he took care of this small bit of business his entire weekend belonged to him.

For the first time in a couple of months, his team did not have the weekend duty at NCIS Headquarters.

Tony smiled delightedly to himself at the door. Tonight belonged to the newest female in his life, a woman named Karlena with whom he had supper and movie plans. A leggy brunette, she resembled a runway model. He had met her at the grocery store earlier in the week, when he cleverly struck up a conversation near the organic produce.

Tomorrow evening his date, Angela, planned to join him for an evening at a local nightclub. They had literally run into each other the week before as she entered his dentist's office and he exited. Luckily, neither has really gotten hurt, but it had allowed unexpected but welcome physical contact.

Oh yes, indeed, he did welcome this long overdue weekend! He could barely contain his anticipation for the next two evenings.

A petite blond reached for the door just as he did. A gentleman, Tony stepped back and grabbed the handle and pulled, allowing her to pass him and to enter first. She thanked him as he came through the door behind her and they joined the line of other customers waiting for service.

Tony removed his sunglasses and slipped them into his suit pocket before he allowed his gaze to sweep over his surroundings.

Certainly he could have availed himself to the ATM machine, or even the drive through service the institution provided. Tony Dinozzo, though, thrived on social contact, and truly enjoyed any interaction from chitchat to heart to heart confidences.

That afternoon, three tellers dealt with the drive through and walk in customers, while two other bank personnel at huge oak desks assisted customers who required more than just check cashing services.

Suddenly Tony realized the blond had spoken to him. He snapped to attention and noted her vivid blue eyes, and the fact that she had an adorable dimple in her left cheek.

She returned his glance, and Tony raised his eyebrows. Evidently she found his long lashed shimmery green eyes and brown hair to her taste, because she tilted her chin to make eye contact.

She could not have stood over five feet two inches, almost a foot shorter than he, yet she possessed a sure bearing and confidence.

"I apologize," he offered with a lively smile. "My mind clearly had devoted itself to something other than paying attention to you. Would you repeat what you said?"

A man stepped back from one of the tellers with an envelope of cash. Tony read the logo of a local auto repair shop on his shirt.

Motioning, the teller waited with a smile as the next person in line took his place at her window.

Tony and the blond moved up in line with the others.

She giggled. "I said that if it were not for standing in line, I would never get a chance to daydream these days. You certainly proved it for me. Where in the world was your mind?"

"Well, I aim to please," he grinned. "Now just where do you work that keeps you so busy that you fail to daydream?"

Another customer vacated the space at the middle window. Tony and his attractive acquaintance moved forward.

"Well, I teach," she grinned, "so I can assure you that free moments rarely come my way in the workday."

"You have me whipped, then," Tony admitted. "As an agent of your federal government I bow to you. Everyone knows educators have the hardest jobs in the world. Your career makes mine a lazy walk in the park."

"Not true," she contradicted.

"Yes, true," Tony shook his head to punctuate his words. "On another note, let me introduce myself so that I can flirt outrageously with you and convince you that you want to join me for dinner some evening next week. You will be joining Tony Dinozzo, a special agent for NCIS, or Naval Criminal Investigative Service." He batted his lashes and raised an eyebrow.

She laughed at the blatant wooing and pretended to curtsy. "Thank you for that outstanding introduction, Tony. I am Rachel Lindgren, a ninth grade teacher of Math and all its components. Lovely though your invitation appears, I must decline. As a single parent to a three year old, those weekday evenings belong to him. He is the man in my life these days."

"No problem," Tony assured her, "I can wait for an open weekend."

Only two people stood in line ahead of Rachel. All three windows had customers transacting business with the tellers.

Without warning, the bank's front door slammed open with incredible force and four figures wielding rifles raced into the bank.

Dressed in colorful clown make up and oversized clown suits, the outfits made it impossible for the patrons to pinpoint their gender or focus upon identifiable features.

An almost collective holding of breath provided the response to the initial assault, but as bank customers and employees interpreted the danger they faced, terrified voices filled the building.

Before the robbers could even yell their first command Tony yanked Rachel to his right hand side. She stumbled, but he continued to push at her so that she moved to the periphery of the area under attack.

Grabbing her urgently around her waist he hissed, "Dial 9-1-1 on your cell. You do not need to say anything, just leave the line open. Do it now, Rachel!"

He watched as her slender hand slid inside her pocketbook then he thrust his own left hand into his pants pocket. Working hurriedly, he pressed his boss's number before moving his hand out into the open.

In those seconds required for him to alert the outside world, two of the clowns had jumped the counter. One held the tellers lined against an inside wall, their hands up in surrender, while the other grabbed cash from the drawers and stuffed it into a satchel.

The third and fourth had forced the other bank employees to join the customers in the middle of the bank, and the clowns barked out orders for everyone to lie facedown on the floor.

As Tony and Rachel scrambled to comply the agent wiggled them further away from the group, whispering to Rachel to slide as far away from the others as she could.

Before any of the criminals actually focused upon them Tony and Rachel had made it onto the carpet and halfway around the first desk.

"Stay calm," Tony whispered into her hair, "and do whatever they say. They want to rob us- not kill us."

She whispered urgently in reply, tears evident in her voice, "Caleb just has me, Tony. He needs his mama, and I need him!"

"Shhh," Tony cautioned, rubbing his hand on her back to calm her. "We definitely want to avoid bringing attention to ourselves."

One of the gunmen strode between Tony and the customer to his left. His pants leg fanned the side of Tony's face as he stalked past, a sentry intent upon keeping his captives helpless.

The NCIS agent groaned to himself at the distance he still needed to cover. Circumstances necessitated he redouble the efforts to get further away from the core of captives.

Inching towards Rachel, Tony motioned her to continue sliding towards the right as he moved. She regarded him wide eyed, her expression frantic and unsure, and he whispered, "We will come out alive, Rachel. I have no intention of having your baby lose his mother. Just trust me. Remember that I am an Agent of the Law."

Both of their heads shot back down as the lookout's circuit brought him into their vision and earshot again.

The second he passed they slid to the side yet again, consumed with the urgency of getting away from the madmen.

Tony grasped the nape of Rachel's neck to get her to face him. "Keep going, no matter what happens in here. That side exit door opens onto the parking lot that faces the street. Get yourself safe- get some distance from the building and run to that flower shop. Have them call the authorities there if they have not made it to the bank yet. Make sure you warn them all four have weapons on them- tell them three have one gun each, but the ringleader has a sidearm, in addition. They need to know also that I have counted eleven hostages and that I left my own sidearm in my desk at work. I do not have a weapon."

She started to cry softly, and replied in a shaky whisper, "I know I can not do all of that. I am scared, Tony. What if I get shot?"

"I will protect you- just go, Rachel. This is the reason I have moved you as far out of sight as I can. Start moving faster and get out and get help for us!"

She met his gaze and clenched her jaw in decision. "Ok," she answered simply. "I understand."

Behind the counter one gunman demanded the three tellers join the customers already prone on the floor. Herding them in front of him, the group passed the bank's manager who raised himself up and regarded his employees quizzically.

In unison, all three shook their heads slightly, alerting him to the fact that none had managed to hit the silent alarms under the counter.

The attackers had gotten to them first, evidently savvy to the fact that catching the tellers by surprise would decrease the chance of triggering the alarm.

Someone had planned the takeover strategically, from the timing to the costumes.

Obeying the command to join the other hostages without argument, the tellers threw themselves down onto the parquet floor with the bank's customers.


	2. In the Light

In the Light

One gunman kicked an elderly man close to the teller windows, then demanded his wallet. As soon as the man reached into his pocket and handed it over the clown threw it into the money bag he held. Systematically he divested the customers of any money and credit cards they possessed.

The robbers identified the bank's manager by the framed display photo on the wall. One gunman snatched him off the floor and shoved him towards the safety deposit boxes visible from the main room. The same criminal stomped across a woman's arm as he forced the manager to stumble ahead of him. Feeling the bone snap the woman screamed out from the incredible pain. A second gunman hurriedly straddled her and slammed the gun across her head. She stopped screaming, unconscious, but still alive.

The other captives cowered on the floor, trying to make themselves inconspicuous. Nevertheless, almost all whispered prayers which echoed on the parquet.

Tony shoved Rachel away from him forcefully, and she began to move quickly, sliding at first, then clumsily making her way to her knees as she raced towards the door.

Catching the movement peripherally, one of the robbers vaulted towards the carpeted area and aimed his rifle at Rachel's fleeing figure. Whirling from his prone position, Tony slammed into the criminal's knees and threw himself on top of the felon the instant he hit the floor. He dominated the struggle, knocking the man unconscious with a calculated and targeted blow under his chin.

Wrenching the rifle from his fingers, Tony threw himself behind a counter with the gun. A volley of shots followed from the other criminals, attempting to hit him through the barricade.

The explosive spray of gunfire elicited panicked screams from the innocent customers, who recognized they might not survive the afternoon's ordeal.

The ringleader signaled one of the gunmen to check the status of their fallen comrade.

Sensing movement near him Tony peeped from behind the counter, aimed, and shot the second gunman right above the left knee. Writhing in pain, the man fell stiffly. His rifle clattered onto the floor after him.

No one moved for several stunned seconds, all attention focused upon the prostrate body of the robber clown. Attempting to scramble to his feet he fell, the attempt further damaging his knee and incapacitating him. He screamed out in frustration.

The ringleader frantically surveyed the chaos around him. Within the last couple of minutes his carefully laid plan had fallen apart. He realized he would be lucky to escape alive, much less with even a cent of the illicit money loaded into satchels. He wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt, a crazed look reflected in his eyes despite the heavy makeup, then barked to the fourth robber to grab the bags of money.

Terrified at the helpless state of his fallen comrades the man balked, "We can not desert them!" He pointed to frantically to first one, then the second fallen criminal. "They need us!"

The leader screamed his response, spit flying from his mouth with the vehemence of the words. "Shut up and grab the money!" He thrust his own rifle emphatically towards his colleague. "Get the money right now and get it to the door!"

Still horrified at his leader's new action plan but afraid to disobey, the man simultaneously rested the rifle against his shoulder and grabbed one of the bags by the handle, heaving it towards his shoulder as slowly as he dared.

When he did, Tony shot him through the shoulder, and the rifle flew from his grasp as he and the money collapsed on the floor.

Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo leapt up then, kicked that fallen gun across the room, and aimed his weapon at the ringleader's forehead. Looking the criminal in the eye he yelled, "Federal Agent, drop the weapon!"

Stunned at the turn of events, the man ignored the instructions and pointed his weapon at Tony, instead.

Tony moved sideways, inching his way closer to the ringleader whose head he kept in the rifle's sight. As he shifted the gunman moved, also, closing the distance between himself and the front door. Without taking his eyes off of his target Tony called out to the hostages and ordered them to escape. They obeyed instantly, understanding that Tony stood prepared to exchange his life for their own. They scrambled to their feet collectively and ran out of the same side door Rachel had used minutes earlier.

Tony kept his finger on the gun's trigger, but when he heard the door slam, he turned and made a visual check to assure himself innocent people no longer faced danger inside the bank.

Backing up so that he could cover more of the room, he commanded the two conscious clowns to cross the area and move towards their leader's direction.

They did not resist or argue, but obeyed the agent's directive.

One left a trail of blood in his wake.

Despite the fact that he and the ringleader remained in a standoff, Tony continued to force the man towards the front door as he deliberately closed the space between them.

The other two struggled to travel the few feet left to reunite with their ringleader.

Tony heard a creak and then the click as the rear entrance door opened. The sound of boots approached, and a voice called out identification.

He had backup.

Grinning, he pointed his free hand towards the front door. "Hey Bozo, someone's calling for comedic relief right behind you. You need to look."

The ringleader glanced over his shoulder and froze. Lined up in the parking lot with guns aimed at his figure in the front door, an impressive group of sharpshooters waited.

"Go for it," Tony called out to him. "They need target practice."

The rear Calvary continued filing into the bank, and spread out with all guns pointed towards the three criminals.

Tony shrugged and licked his lips. "Okey dokey, then, if you refuse to play with the snipers, then let me repeat my earlier instructions. Put down your weapons- now, Chucky- the rifle, and the sidearm at your side. My patience has strained with you because you have imposed upon my weekend plans."

Outnumbered and out maneuvered, the robber obeyed, sinking slowly to the ground to relinquish his weapons.

Despite the surrender, it took a few additional minutes before Tony could give his report to the authorities and leave. Stepping finally into the late afternoon sunshine he pinpointed the other customers in a group giving statements to the police and sighed in relief. Not one had lost his life.

News vans and reporters vied for prime spots and clamored for personal stories, but for the moment, they waited respectfully across the street.

Wearily, Special Agent Dinozzo of NCIS retraced his earlier steps and returned to his car.

He found his boss, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, propped against it and waiting for him.

Spotting him, Tony grinned.

Gibbs nodded at his approach. "Good job- thanks to the open phone lines from you and the teacher, enforcement had no delays swinging into action. Most importantly, though, masterminding her exit with intel to share assured the good guys a victory today."

"No problem, Boss," he responded, moving to Jethro's side.

Gibbs reached out with both hands and grabbed Tony's shoulders, then took one hand and patted the side of his protégé's face.

Spotting Tony, a police captain wound his way across the parking lot and headed towards them. Rachel followed at his side. Spotting the young agent, she jogged the last few feet and then threw herself in Tony's arms, bursting into tears as she did so.

He held her until she calmed.

Raising her chin with his thumb he pointed her out to his Boss. "Have you met the hero of the day? This incredible teacher saved the bank this afternoon."

"I have, and her intel meant the difference between sending men in blindly, or sending them in with a fighting chance. Thank you." Gibbs smiled at Rachel, and the corners of his eyes crinkled, emphasizing their blue color.

"No, please do not give me the credit," she protested. "Tony kept me moving across the floor and shoved me towards the escape. He told me exactly what to say."

"Still, you played a crucial part in saving lives today," Jethro insisted.

Tony pulled her into a tender embrace. "Listen, Rachel, if you ever leave teaching and want a job, come to NCIS and join us. You proved your merit today."

She laughed, pulling back to make eye contact. "No, I acted because I found myself thrown into the situation. That was my motive."

"Baptized by fire," Tony agreed, "but you made it through the ordeal alive, and tonight you will go home to join your little boy."

"Thanks to you," she agreed, then stood on her tiptoes to softly kiss his cheek. "God bless you, Tony."

The police captain thrust out his hand to the field agent, shaking it with gratitude. "We- the FBI and the DC police- we are deeply in your debt, Agent Dinozzo."

Motioning to Rachel, they left, and the two spectators watched as the captain escorted her to her own vehicle.

Gibbs turned back to his protégé then. "You made me proud today, Anthony."

Tony shook his head, unwilling to answer because his emotions threatened to overtake his demeanor.

"I mean it," Gibbs added, patting him on the back.

"Got it, Boss," his agent whispered.

Gibbs moved away from the car and headed towards his sedan. "Ok, well, let me take you to get some supper. It is getting late, and you need to eat and have a chance to relax and wind down from all of this."

"Right," Tony called in agreement, "but I need to cancel my date for tonight and reschedule it. I am sorry, though, because I was looking forward to it. She is what you would call a hottie, Boss."

Tony pulled out his phone and dialed, then raced to catch up with Gibbs. He tapped Jethro on the shoulder. "Uhm, by the way, Boss, you have to pay for my supper tonight because I am funds free. I got a bit sidetracked this afternoon and never did get my check cashed."

Leroy Jethro Gibbs threw back his head and laughed.


End file.
